Devotion
Rejoice in Your Youth
Frances Taylor
Ecclesiastes is an interesting book to read. The theme seems to be that all is vanity. In this passage the young are advised to remember that God watches over us all and all our actions are subject to his judgment. If you continue reading in chapter 12, you will find that the youth is being warned that he will someday be old with all the infirmities that this will bring. We need to rejoice in every day we are given and not waste them. Don't take your youth for granted and spend them doing evil. How often have you heard someone excuse the young by saying that he is just sowing his wild oats. There really is no such thing. There is no excusing bad behavior because someone is young.
Our moral compass has become skewed in recent years and it seems that there are no moral boundaries. Adultery, hooking-up, pornography, sexual harassment and abuse are normal and even celebrated! Both men and women are looked at as sexual objects to be used instead of temples of God to be respected. Because of the lack of stigma to bad behavior, how are our youth learning right from wrong? The scary thing is that as they mature they find it difficult to know love from lust and to form faithful relationships. May we be good role models for those who come after us and help them to understand God's plan for them which will bring a happy, joyous life instead of disillusionment.
Prayer
Lord, our youth is in trouble in today's world. May we work to give good example and work to change the moral attitudes prevalent in today's culture. Amen.
Devotion
Culpability
Frances Taylor
This is an interesting passage because, among other things, it talks about sin and who is considered guilty of sin. Paul is talking about how he has been forgiven, how God has been merciful to him because his actions were committed in unbelief. In order for sin to be committed, one needs to know he is committing it. No one can commit sin in retrospect. Sin is always a deliberate act. This can be hard for some to understand. Actions can be considered sinful, even though the person committing them may not be culpable. For example, lying is a sin. However, is the two year old hiding behind the curtains sinning when he or she claims not to have broken the vase? No, because the child has no understanding of the difference between truth and lie. Those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not know the commandments, who have never heard of Jesus, may commit sinful actions, but are not guilty of sin. This is what Paul claims is his situation. Paul ...
Morning Prayer
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Inspiration
When the Lord sent his only Son, he sent also his word. For his body was this very word made flesh. Importantly this was not simply a manifestation of God's word, but also rather an 'animation' of it (meant here in the original Latin as 'animare' –'to instill with life or spirit'), an instance of God's love and divine grace in action, among us.
Prayer
Lord, I am grateful for your mercy in showing us your word made flesh so that we may be redeemed. Further, I am grateful to you for showing us your love and grace through your only begotten son. Let his body not have been torn and broken for no avail, but feed us now in the Eucharist. Let not his blood have...
